Introduction:
It is always a harrowing experience when a family member or a friend gets ill. It is however particularly hard when they are hit by cancer of any form. Cancer is a word that strikes fear into the heart whenever heard. Its continued resistance to cure in many of its forms causes to classification of a majority of its forms as a terminal. Cancer is the group of diseases characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the body. If the growth of these abnormal cells cannot be controlled, it can lead to death.
In the unfortunate incident where my friend was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, the American cancer society will prove to be of great help in reducing the pinch of the disease. With the initial panic associated with the discovery of the condition, information provided by the society through its website will prove as a great tool to alleviate these tensions. The ‘I can cope program’ is specifically recommendable due to the wide array of educative and insightful programs it offers. Program on what is cancer, how to manage it, and remedies available are especially great.
Many of the causative agents of cancer are unknown; however there are many other causative agents that have been singled out many of which are preventable.
- Smoking has been known to trigger lung and respiratory system cancers.
- Obesity has been shown to cause colon cancer.
- Skin interference has also been shown to trigger breast cancer.
Mortality rates due to the various cancers are closely related to the cancer type, the level of spread and the functions affected by the cancer. Lack of access to medical attention has also been a major factor in the number of people succumbing to the condition as some types of cancer such as colon cancer are manageable if discovered in time.
The creation of policies that continually discourage the use of known carcinogenic substances such as tobacco and exposure to carcinogenic chemicals in the industries can go a long way in reducing the occurrence of the condition. The creation of policy to set minimum required set of equipment to be found in various levels of hospitals would assist in aiding the early detection and treatment of these conditions.
The quality of life of people affected by cancer either by being ill, living with cancer patients or being a cancer survivor are scantily understood. The research efforts by the American cancer society in the survivorship and quality of life are promising. Findings on the various issues faced by survivors such as fear of recurrence, trauma experienced during treatment will pave ways for better ways of their handling.
References
American Cancer Society (2000), American Cancer Society's Guide to complementary and alternative cancer methods. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society.
American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer Ra Smith, Cj Mettlin, Kj Davis, H Eyre 2000.
